


The Apple Orchard Murder(s)

by Floris_Oren



Category: The Mentalist
Genre: F/M, I saw the name and liked it, Jet Setting Teresa Lisbon Jane, Patrick Jane is a house Husband, Plum Jane is their first kid, Post s7 fic, Retired Patrick Jane, and he loves it, and more dead bodies, cozy mystery, dead bodies, i don't know yet, it's a weird name, who dun it mystery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-31 07:18:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15114482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Floris_Oren/pseuds/Floris_Oren
Summary: When a dead body shows up in the Jane Families Apple Orchard; questions start to abound. Then, Patrick Jane is on the case when he’s hired by the Mayor’s wife. After all, it’s her daughter who’s dead.





	The Apple Orchard Murder(s)

**Author's Note:**

> So. I will always include a list of suspects with each chapter. Because I thought it'd be fun to see who got struck form the list and why. Thinks of it as Jane's Notes. I think he keeps a lot of Notebooks. lol. also, this is just for fun. mostly just from since the Mentalist Fandom isn't very active. This is definitely a self-fulfilling fan fic. but I hope others take enjoyment from it anyway. So, I'm not expecting too much in the way of reviews and kudos and stuff. 
> 
> also, I'm gonna do my best to make REALLY LONG CHAPTERS. LOL.

**_~*~_ **

**_List of Suspects -_ **

 

**_David Carson_ **

**_Spencer Richmond_ **

**_Brittany Foster_ **

**_Grant Foster_ **

**_Arlene Henson_ **

**_Audrey Peck_ **

 

**_~*~_ **

**_1_ **

**_~*~_ **

 

“Toast! Toast! Toast!” the two year old toddler bellowed through the cabin; Plum sat in her highchair with a Queen Elsa bib on, her golden hair up in pigtails - done by Daddy of course - and across from her sat an ipad. Teresa Jane smiled at her daughter. The case had taken her all the way to Georgia and she’d been gone for a month already. 

 

However, her husband, had everything under control; Patrick was not the type of father who was horrible with children and depended on a woman to do much of the care. In fact, their situation is quite the reverse. Sometimes Teresa has no clue what to do with Plum; Patrick usually comes to her rescue. 

 

She needed to go back; she decided. After this case she’ll take some leave. She had stacked it up and HR was already yelling at her about it. Of course Patrick never complained when she had to leave. He understood the job. 

 

He’d been the job for more than decade; he is flourishing in retirement. He loves their daughter and with the cabin all fixed up he’s wanting to know if Teresa is interested in having more children. 

 

Patrick is a wholly different man from when she had first met him. The man had walked into her office with an unkempt beard. A shirt that’d been worn for more than five days. And slacks that looked just as questionable as the man himself. 

 

She knew - now - that she’d fallen in love with him the moment she’d walked in after he’d become the CBI’s Consultant and found him sleeping on the couch. She’d learned that he’d gotten the night cleaning crew to help him move it. And he’d been in her life ever since. Except for those two years after he had killed Red John. But, they both prefered to pretend that didn’t happen. 

 

“Mommy!” Plum called. “Toast?” she held up a piece of blackened bread that had butter and strawberry jam smeared onto it. Then Patrick came rambling in. He’d been changing out the laundry. 

 

“So, how’s the case?” he asked. They’d spent the first fifteen minutes playing with Plum and she hadn’t been able to fill him in. 

 

“Not bad, now if we can only find our witness it’d be better.” she sighed. 

 

“You’re missing something important.” Patrick said. He refilled Plum’s sippy cup with orange juice and handed it back to the baby. She burbled at him and said a cute “Thanks!” 

 

“I know that.” Teresa sighed. Patrick tried to stay out of her cases. But he did follow them a bit and sometimes if they were really stuck he’d “consult”. 

 

“Have you considered that maybe your witness isn’t a witness?” Patrick smiled at her. He’d taken up the ipad and turned it so that he could sit at the bar to sip his morning cup of tea. 

 

“You mean video?” Teresa asked. “We got all the street stuff.” 

 

Patrick gave her a pointed look; “Other than that.” 

 

He hated just “giving” the answer. So Teresa thought about it until…

 

“Nanny cam.” 

 

“Bingo.”

 

“I have to go, if you’re right then we have the WHOLE thing on film.” 

 

“Go get ‘em, kitten.” Patrick teased. 

 

“By my Dove.” Teresa rolled her eyes. Their pet names for each other are more or less a joke. But Patrick rather liked his. Teresa tended to call him that often. 

 

Patrick turned the ipad off and turned to Plumb; “Alright Turtle. What about we go get some apples today?” Patrick asked. 

 

Plum grinned up at her daddy; “Okay!” she replied. 

 

~*~

 

The Apple Orchard is a hop-skip-and a - jump away from the main cabin. Patrick had spent some time in taking out the dead trees, and replanting. Now it’s vibrant as ever. Everything from Golden Delicious to Granny Smith hung from the trees. He and Plumb walked down a dirt road. Forget-me-nots and wild roses grew up along with grass. 

 

The closer they got, however, the more Patrick got a feeling in his gut. Something is wrong. He can smell it in the air - ravens are circling the skies above and it’s dead quiet. Not even a bird singing. Then the whine of a dog. 

 

“Daddy?” Plumb pointed to their left side; a shock of red hair had Patrick turning away and digging out his cell phone. 

 

“Okay, no apple picking today, turtle.” he said putting the phone to his ear. 

 

“No apple?” Plumb asked disappointed. 

 

“No apple.” Patrick replied. “Ah yes, there’s a dead body out here in my apple orchard….” 

 

~*~

 

Mrs. Judy Adams had come and picked Plumb up when Patrick called her; letting her know that he needed her emergency babysitting skills. He promised it’d only be an hour or so. 

 

Then Sheriff Natalie Rogers had shown up with her Crime Scene people; for a small town they were pretty well prepared for this type of thing. Natalie even ID’d the body. 

 

“That’s Penny Foster. She’s the only child of Grant and Brittany Foster. The Mayor. You know.” Natalie said. Patrick nodded. 

 

“Did you see her before now?” Natalie asked. 

 

“Just around town, but not recently. I thought she’d gone back to College.” Patrick replied. He was studying the body. Penny lies on her side. Blood at the back of her head. Brain matter splattered here and there. Clothing in disarray. As if she’d been striped and then reclothed. 

 

“When did she die?” he asked. 

 

“Somewhere around seven last night.” Natalie replied. One of her Deputies is snapping as many photos as he can. Covering everything. “Bludgeoned to death is the theory right now, but the marks around her neck could be someone choking her out first.” 

 

Patrick nodded; “She also wasn’t killed here, there’s not enough blood.” he pointed to the ground. “Maybe that head wound is an afterthought. To try and cover up the real cause of death.” 

 

“Interesting.” Natalie said. 

 

“Yeah….but why dump her here? Didn’t her killer know she’d be found sooner rather than later?” he spoke aloud mostly to himself. 

 

“Do you and Plumb go apple picking every day?” Natalie asked. 

 

“No, sometimes we go hiking or we make mud pies out here. I just got a little wading pool that she’s been interested in; I wanted to try my hand at baking today so I thought we’d get some apples for a pie.” Patrick explained. 

 

“Now, just because she showed up in my orchard doesn’t mean I killed her.” he added. He could read everyone like a book, and Natalie was no different. She had pegged him the murderer from the start of this. 

 

“I’m sorry Mr. Jane but…” 

 

“But nothing, you’ve missed the obvious.” Patrick said, rather harshly. “Look at her foot.” 

 

“What am I looking for?” 

 

“That tattoo. Obviously, will lead you to the real killer.” 

 

~*~

 

“What do you mean Natalie thinks you killed Penny?” Teresa sked. Of course her husband would find a dead body on their land, and of course he’d be pegged the killer. How did she even think this wouldn’t happen? 

 

“I and Plumb had gone to the Shirley Temple marathon last night. The one they had at the park. I spent some of that time with Arlene and Spencer. Come to think of it, when are those two going to get a room? Their eyes were dilating at each other all night.” 

 

“Funny.” Teresa muttered. Patrick had picked Plumb up and she was now down for her nap. He had a cup of tea out on the porch. It was hot, even the breeze. The sky beyond is a deep blue. Not a cloud in the sky. 

 

“I know right.” Patrick hummed. “I wonder……” 

 

“What?” 

 

“That Tattoo…...do you think she joined a gang or something at her school?” Patrick asked. 

 

“I wouldn’t know, did you take a picture of it?” Teresa asked. 

 

“I’ll text it to you.” Patrick said. “A deputy took a pic and I asked him to it to me.” Patrick fiddled about with his phone. He set the ipad down on the railing of the wrap around porch. 

“And what about Plum, did she see?” 

 

“No. I didn’t get that close with her.” Patrick replied. “I don’t mind looking at bodies all day, but I definitely don’t want our little turtle to see one before she’s old enough to handle it.” Patrick got the text sent. A moment later Teresa’s work phone pinged. 

 

“That’s an odd Tattoo.” Teresa said. “Who gets an apple blossom on the bottom of their foot?” 

 

“Penny did, but for what and why is the question.” Patrick replied. 

 

“Are you going to go play Detective?” Teresa asked. Almost scared of the answer. 

 

“Well, the Mayor’s daughter did die in my apple orchard.” Patrick replied. 

 

“Patrick!” 

 

“Okay, okay. I know that tone. I’ll stay well away from it.” he “promised”.

 

“Sure you will. I believe that like I believe the moon is made out of cheese.” Teresa huffs. 

 

Patrick smiled; “What type of cheese did you always want it to be?” he asked. 

 

“You know.” Teresa said. 

 

“Not the point.” Patrick replied. 

 

“Swiss. Because of the craters.” she replied, shyly. 

 

“There’s my girl.” Patrick grinned. 

 

“So how’s the case? It’s gonna be another week, right?” 

 

“How’d you know?” 

 

“Because someone erased the video footage, that’s why.” Patrick replied. 

 

“And you couldn’t have said that this morning?” 

 

“Where is the fun in that?” 

 

“I hate you.” 

“Love you too, Teresa.” 

 

~*~

 

“Rabbit! Rabbit!” Plum called; she stood in front of the dryer. Her Rabbit was inside, it’s once perfectly white hair is dingey grey. No matter how many times Patrick washed it; Rabbit still had a grey tinge to it. It was also missing an eye. 

 

“It’s almost done, Turtle.” Patrick said, he picked plum up to cuddle her to him. After her nap they had went swimming and while he made dinner he let Plum watch some tv. Then she had a bath and now it was time to warm up her blanket and Rabbit, then a story and bed. 

 

Plum yawned as Patrick opened the dryer and got her things out. He handed her the stuffed toy and wrapped her in the blanket. Then he picked her up to snuggle against him. 

 

“Okay…” Patrick said. “What story should we do tonight?” 

 

“Ellie.” Plum said tiredly. 

 

“Okay.”

 

~*~

 

“And then….Ellie waved her friend goodby, she’ll see Samson the Gorilla tomorrow when they’d put on their big show…” Patrick gently let his voice trail off. Plum had fallen asleep halfway through the story. Patrick only finished it because he needed to make certain she was actually asleep. 

 

He put the book down and turned on the Frozen night light Plum had seen at the grocery store and took a liking too. He was almost afraid that he was spoiling her immensely. He turned the lamp off, the figures of snowflakes on the bedroom wall were disrupted by the headlights of a car. 

 

That couldn’t be Teresa. She’d be gone for another week and she’d have texted him to let him know if she were coming home. So, it had to be someone connected to the body he and Plum had found that morning. 

 

Patrick went down the stairs as quickly and quietly as he could; he heard the slam of a car door as he reached his own front; he yanked the door open, then closed. 

“My child is sleeping.” he hissed as someone came up the drive. For a moment he thought he’d be shot down. But, the figure came into the light of the porch. She had red eyes, which meant she’d been crying. And blond hair. Her nose and ears were the same as the dead orchard girl had. 

 

“Oh, I see.” Patrick said. “Come in and tell me all about it.” he opened the front door and allowed the woman to pass by him. 

 

“I’m sorry to bother you so late, Mr. Jane.” Brittany Foster said. “Natalie took so long with her questioning that I could come just now.” she explained. 

 

“She just went to that Seminar in San Antonio. Of course she’d be a bit enthusiastic.” Patrick offered. 

 

“I want you to find the murderer; I know you didn’t do it.” Brittany said. “You may have killed in the past, but you wouldn’t do that to an innocent person.” 

 

“Of course not.” Patrick said; “but my wife will have a thing or two to say about this.” 

 

“I’ll talk to Teresa if I have too.” Brittany sniffed into a napkin. “I know she’ll understand.”

Patrick nodded then motioned for Brittany to sit down; “Tea?” 

 

“Please? I’ve been stuck with bad coffee all day.” 

 

“Alright, tell me what you were doing when Penny didn’t show up back home.” Patrick said, moving to the kitchen to put on the kettle. 

 

“We had a big fight before Penny left. She didn’t want to come back and marry David like we’ve been planning.” Brittany huffed at the memory. Patrick rolled his eyes where she couldn’t see. 

 

Family drama being what it was, the small town he’d come to settle down in had its fair share; some of it going as far back as the 1800’s. The Foster family and the Carson’s had a long list of murder and betrayal in its family lines. This was just another sordid tale. 

 

“Why did she not want to marry David?” Patrick asked. Though he could probably guess. Penny didn’t want to be “Queen” of the town like her mother. 

 

“She wanted to go out into the world and experience it. She hiked Death Valley last year with a friend of hers.”

“Who is that?” Patrick asked. 

 

“Audrey Peck. She’s a photographer.” Brittany said. “I just called her and told her the news.” 

 

“How did she take it?” Patrick asked. He’d rather be the one to tell a suspect. To better gauge their reaction. 

 

“Heartbroken.” Brittany said. “She took it really badly. I didn’t know she and Penny had been so close.” 

 

“Hmmmm….” Patrick didn’t have much to say to that other than Penny was hiding her romantic relationship with Audrey. 

 

“Alright, and where were you last night when Penny died?” 

 

“At home with my husband. We had dinner, and wine….listened to some Opera and went to bed.” Brittany said. 

 

“Did Grant act weird? Like he knew something was going down?” 

 

“No, not that I can remember.” Brittany sighed. 

 

“I know you’ve hashed this all out with Natalie, but I wasn’t there.” Patrick brought over the tea. 

 

“I’m sorry to bother you about it, maybe this was a bad idea.” 

 

“No, I’m taking the case.” Patrick said. “First, I’m a suspect because she showed up dead in my orchard. And second, I’ll find her killer for you. I know how that goes.” he said gently.

 

“I know you do.” Brittany muttered. 

 

“I wouldn’t suggest you get revenge though. My wife would have my head if you did that.” Patrick joked. 

 

“You really are something else.” 

 

“Now, tell me everything you can about Penny.” Patrick said. He needed to get a jump on this as quick as possible before Natalie got delusions of solving the case before him. 

  
  



End file.
